KOTA SAMARAHAN: The majority of fires in Malaysia are caused by human activities, says the Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (Bomba) director-general.
Datuk Seri Muhammad Hamdan Wahid explained that Bomba conducted a study to identify the causes of fires in the country.
“Based on our analysis, we found out that most fires in the country are due to human activities.
“We are not like certain countries in which fires are caused by storms, extreme weather or direct sunlight,” he told the media after launching the Sarawak Bomba preparedness for the dry season at Kota Samarahan fire station today.
This dry season in Sarawak is expected to last until October, and over 1,200 firefighters are on standby.
Hamdan said various assets, including firefighting equipment, had been prepared in case of forest fires and peat fires.
He pointed out that should there be a need for additional manpower, Bomba would rope in back-up from other states like Sabah and Labuan.
“Nonetheless, we do have auxiliary firefighters, Bomba community as well as 110 recruits from the Sarawak Bomba Academy.”
Hamdan shared that several hotspots (for burning) in the state had been identified, among them, in Miri, Sibu and Mukah. However, he did not disclose the exact figure of identified hotspots.
Malaysia has shifted from the northeast monsoon season to the southwest monsoon season, which is expected to last from May to October this year.
